Niël Terblanché
As Namibia joined the global commemoration of World Environment Day, the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) reaffirmed its commitment to advancing environmental protection through strategic financing and community-driven initiatives.
The EIF has mobilised more than N$4 billion in environmental and climate funding to support resilience, clean technologies, and biodiversity conservation across the country.
In a statement for the occasion, the EIF highlighted its role in introducing environmental levies under the Customs and Excise Act No. 20 of 1998, working with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism.
These levies generate about N$90 million annually and are reinvested in sustainability projects and public education.
One key initiative funded by these levies is the Green Impact Facility (GIF), which supports green investments by small and medium enterprises through blended finance.
The facility has issued over 300 loans totalling nearly N$94 million, which has helped create more than 950 jobs.
Investments have focused on waste management and recycling, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, green technology innovation, agriculture, and natural resource management.
The EIF is finalising an investment plan to ensure the levy’s revenue is used effectively.
Proposed projects include prototype landfills for local authorities, mobile recycling stations to improve waste collection, and public awareness campaigns. Incentives are also being developed to encourage people to bring plastic waste to recycling centres.
“These initiatives are designed to curb plastic waste and reduce the overall environmental footprint in urban and rural areas alike,” the statement said.
This year’s World Environment Day theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, aligns with the EIF’s long-term focus on reducing waste and pollution.
“Our environment provides essential resources such as food, water, and energy, yet it is increasingly under threat from challenges including biodiversity loss and climate change,” the fund said.
The EIF called on individuals, communities, and businesses in Namibia to take practical steps to reduce waste. “We encourage everyone to avoid littering and dispose of waste responsibly; use reusable and eco-friendly shopping bags; support recycling initiatives in their communities.”
